JP2013541360A - Installation and sealing of a battery on a thin glass wafer to power the intraocular implant - Google Patents

Abstract

Many modern implantable ophthalmic devices include electronic components such as electrically active cells that can cause harmful substances to leak into the eye and / or surrounding tissue. In the implantable ophthalmic device disclosed herein, the electronic components are hermetically sealed to facilitate mechanical connection of the components of the implantable ophthalmic device. The device further includes at least one battery having a surface including an electrical contact portion, a housing for the at least one battery, and a first wafer bonded to the housing, the housing and the first wafer. Includes a first wafer that forms a hermetic seal surface around the battery and an electronic circuit that is electrically connected to an electrical contact portion of the battery.

Description

  The present invention relates generally to implantable ophthalmic devices that assist in vision correction.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application was filed on September 7, 2010, the name “Installation and Sealing of a Battery on a Thin Glass Wafer to Supply Power to an Intraocular Implant”, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Claims the benefit of US Provisional Application No. 61 / 380,342.

  Standard tools for correcting various visual impairments such as presbyopia include reading glasses, multifocal ophthalmic lenses, and contact lenses suitable for providing a monocular field of view. Some vision correction methods involve implanting a form of lens into the eye itself. For example, a pseudophakic eye is the replacement of the eye lens with an intraocular lens (IOL). This is usually done following surgical removal of the lens during cataract surgery. In a pseudo-lens individual, the absence of the lens causes a complete lack of accommodation that results in the inability to focus on either near or medium range objects.

  Conventional IOLs are single focus spherical lenses. This gives a retina image that is in focus for a distant object (eg, an object 2 meters away). In general, the focal length (or refractive power) of the spherical IOL is selected based on viewing a distant object corresponding to a small angle (eg, about 7 degrees) in the fovea. Unfortunately, single focus IOLs have a fixed focal length and therefore cannot mimic or substitute for the natural accommodation response of the eye. An ophthalmic device having an electroactive element, such as a liquid crystal cell, can be used to provide a variable refractive power as an alternative to the accommodation of a damaged or removed lens. For example, the electroactive element can be used as a shutter that provides a dynamically variable refractive power. This is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,028, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. IOLs with electronic components such as electroactive elements must be sufficiently sealed to prevent potential foreign objects such as liquid crystal materials used in electroactive elements from leaking into the eye and surrounding tissues. There is.

  Further, the cavity of the IOL that contains the electrical component needs to be properly sealed so that bodily fluids from the eyeball region cannot interfere with the function of the electrical component. In addition, systems and methods for sealing IOL electrical components need to be durable over time. Today, IOLs having electronic components such as electroactive elements are made by potting or encapsulating the components in a shell of epoxy, polyurethane, or other suitable type of curable compound. However, potting compounds do not always adhere well to biocompatible metals used for electrical connection in IOLs. Potting compounds can also degrade over the useful life of an IOL, which can be 20 years or longer.

US Pat. No. 7,926,940 (B2) specification US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0204207 (A1) Specification US Pat. No. 7,524,577 (B2) specification US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0255324 (A1) Specification US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0139001 (A1) Specification US Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0220643 (A1)

  According to one embodiment, a system is disclosed for electrically and mechanically connecting components of an implantable ophthalmic device to provide a biocompatible seal to prevent fluid from entering and battery fluid from exiting. The system includes at least one battery having a surface including an electrical contact portion, a housing for the at least one battery, and a first wafer bonded to the housing, wherein the housing and the first wafer are the A first wafer forming a sealing surface around the battery and an electronic circuit electrically connected to the electrical contact portion of the battery.

  According to another embodiment, a system for electrically and mechanically connecting components of an implantable ophthalmic device to provide a biocompatible seal to prevent fluid entry and battery fluid exit. The system includes bonding at least one battery having a surface including an electrical contact portion, a first wafer having a first cavity into which the at least one battery is inserted, and the first wafer using a laser melting process. And a second wafer in which the first wafer and the second wafer form a sealing cavity around the battery. The system also includes an electrical circuit that is directly connected to the electrical contact portion of the battery and that is inserted into a gap in the third wafer, and an induction coil that is inserted into the second cavity of the first wafer. And an induction coil disposed on the surface of the third wafer.

  According to yet another embodiment, a method of manufacturing an implantable ophthalmic device that prevents fluid entry into the cavity of the device is disclosed. The method includes disposing at least one battery having a surface including an electrical contact portion in a housing and bonding the housing to a first wafer, the housing and the first wafer surrounding the battery. Forming a hermetic seal cavity, and placing the first wafer in place, wherein the integrated circuit is electrically connected to an electrical contact portion of the battery.

  The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

2 is an exploded view of a hermetically sealed electronics assembly used in an implantable ophthalmic device according to one embodiment. FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of one implantable ophthalmic device. A feedthrough line interconnecting a power source and an integrated circuit according to one embodiment is depicted. It is the figure seen from the upper direction of the said implantable ophthalmic device. The location of the power source according to one embodiment is depicted. FIG. 3 is a side view of one of the power sources used in the implantable ophthalmic device according to one embodiment. It is the figure seen from the side of the battery which concerns on one Example, an intermediate | middle layer, and a 1st wafer, and the figure seen from the upper direction of the said intermediate | middle layer. It is the figure seen from the side of the battery which concerns on another Example, an intermediate | middle layer, and a 1st wafer, and the figure seen from the upper direction of the said intermediate | middle layer. It is the figure seen from the side of the battery which concerns on another Example, an intermediate | middle layer, and a 1st wafer, and the figure seen from the upper direction of the said intermediate | middle layer. It is the figure seen from the side of the battery which concerns on another Example, an intermediate | middle layer, and a 1st wafer, and the figure seen from the upper direction of the said intermediate | middle layer. It is the figure seen from the side of the battery which concerns on another Example, an intermediate | middle layer, and a 1st wafer, and the figure seen from the upper direction of the said intermediate | middle layer. It is the figure which looked from the side which concerns on the battery which concerns on another Example, and a 1st wafer. It is the figure which looked from the side which concerns on the battery which concerns on another Example, and a 1st wafer. It is the figure which looked from the side which concerns on the battery which concerns on another Example, and a 1st wafer. It is the figure which looked from the side which concerns on the battery which concerns on another Example, and a 1st wafer. It is the figure which looked from the side which concerns on the battery which concerns on another Example, and a 1st wafer. It is the figure which looked from the side which concerns on the battery which concerns on another Example, and a 1st wafer. It is the figure which looked from the side which concerns on the battery which concerns on another Example, and a 1st wafer. It is the figure which looked from the side which concerns on the battery which concerns on another Example, and a 1st wafer. It is the figure which looked from the side which concerns on the battery which concerns on another Example, and a 1st wafer. It is the figure which looked from the side which concerns on the battery which concerns on another Example, and a 1st wafer. It is the figure which looked at the battery which concerns on one Example, the integrated circuit electrically couple | bonded with the said 1st battery, and the 1st wafer from the side. It is the figure which looked at the battery which concerns on another Example, the integrated circuit electrically couple | bonded with the said 1st battery, and the side of the 1st wafer. It is the figure which looked at the battery which concerns on another Example, the integrated circuit electrically couple | bonded with the said 1st battery, and the side of the 1st wafer. It is the figure which looked at the battery which concerns on one Example, and the 1st wafer from the side.

  An implantable ophthalmic device, such as an intraocular lens, is typically implanted in the eye to serve as a permanent or semi-permanent correction of symptoms such as pseudophakic eyes, aphatia, etc. that affect the patient's vision Is done. Exemplary implantable ophthalmic devices can be inserted or implanted in the anterior or posterior chamber of the eye or in any anatomy of the eye. Because they are inserted or implanted into the eye itself, foreign objects such as liquid crystal materials or electrolytes used in batteries must not leak or ooze into the eye or surrounding tissue. Otherwise, they can cause damage to the eye and / or surrounding tissues.

  Embodiments of the technology disclosed herein include implantable ophthalmic devices having hermetically sealed feedthroughs and hermetically sealed cavities containing electronic devices such as power supplies, and methods of making such implantable ophthalmic devices. Including. An exemplary implantable ophthalmic device is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and includes a first wafer depicted as element 128 in FIG. 1 and as element 222 in FIG. The first wafer is made from a glass material according to one embodiment. According to one particular embodiment, the first wafer is a borosilicate glass, such as, for example, Borofloat® 33, quartz glass, and / or a high refractive index glass, such as S-TIM22 or N-SF5. Made from high refractive index glass like type. The first wafer 128 may have a plurality of feedthrough apertures or channels 126 that penetrate from the first side of the first wafer to the second side of the first wafer, according to one embodiment. The feedthrough channel is filled with a conductive material to provide a conductive path for electrical communication from the first side of the first wafer to the second side of the first wafer.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exploded view of an electronics assembly 100 for one exemplary implantable ophthalmic device having a feedthrough 126 is shown. The feedthrough 126 is hermetically sealed to prevent leakage of foreign objects from the device 100 into the eye. As defined herein, hermetically sealed cavities or feedthroughs are suitable for helium leak tests with a leak rate of less than 5.0 × 10 ⁻¹² Pam ³ s ^{−1 from} the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E493 / E493M-11. A passing cavity or feedthrough. Assembly 100 includes electronic components such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) 118 and 130.

  In addition, additional electronic components can be placed in the cavity shown in the wafer 132. The side view of the device 100 shown in FIG. 2 depicts the ASIC 206 within the cavity of the intermediate wafer 222 according to another aspect. These cavities are defined by sealing the apertures of the wafer 132 between the first wafer 128 and the second wafer 134. The first wafer 128 and the second wafer 134 may be bonded together using laser fusion bonding, pressure bonding, anodic bonding, and / or various other bonding methods described below. Other elements such as coils 122, photovoltaic (PV) cells 124, and electrical lines 114 and 116 are affixed or sealed between the wafers.

  In some embodiments, the feedthrough channel 126 has a cylindrical or hourglass shape. The maximum diameter included in the hourglass shape reaches from about 100 μm to about 250 μm. According to some embodiments, the conductive material filling the feedthrough channel 126 is titanium, nickel, gold, iron, or alloys thereof that provide a conductive path connecting the first side and the second side of the first substrate. It can be. In some embodiments, the alloy is developed to match the glass expansion coefficient and thus avoid mechanical constraints due to temperature changes.

  The feedthrough channel 126, according to one embodiment, is coated or capped with a conductive material that is about 10 μm to about 200 μm thick and / or about 10 ohms or less in resistance. In some cases, the conductive material has a CTE that is approximately equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the first wafer. For example, according to one embodiment, the CET of the conductive material and the first substrate can be from about 2.0 ppm to about 5.0 ppm. Conductive materials may be electrically connected to electronic components such as application specific integrated circuit processors (ASICs) 118 or 130, capacitors, memories, programmable logic analyzers, analog to digital converters, or battery chargers, according to some embodiments. Communicate.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, feedthrough channels 204 and 208 provide electrical connection from a battery having anode 230 and cathode 232 to ASIC 206 by a first wafer 222 disposed between the battery and ASIC 206. give. A battery 120 that may be rechargeable includes an anode 104 and a cathode 108 that are held separately by a separator 106 and covered by a housing or can 102 that facilitates leakage protection. A battery envelope cap 110 insulates the battery's anode 104 and cathode 108 from the rest of the assembly 100. According to one embodiment, feedthroughs 204, 208, 214, and 216 may be in electrical communication with cathode 406 and anode 410 of battery 400 through electrical contacts 406 and 404, as shown in FIG.

  According to one embodiment, electrical contacts 404 and / or 408 are offset from feedthrough channels 204 and 206. As a result, a conductive electrical component (not shown) electrically connects electrical contacts 406 and 404 to a selected feedthrough channel, such as feedthrough channel 204 or 208, for example. Referring again to FIG. 4, electrical contacts 404 and 408 form an annular electrical contact surface, while electrical contact 406 forms a solid circular electrical contact surface. According to one embodiment, the electrical contact surfaces 408 and 406 are made of gold solder and the protective housing or can 402 surrounding at least a portion of the battery is made of a metal such as titanium and covered with a non-conductive coating. According to some embodiments, the housing 402 is made from gold, such as 24 carat gold, over which a non-conductive coating is optionally applied.

  The assembly 100 also includes an inductive antenna coil 122 and a photovoltaic cell 124 that can be used to recharge the batteries 102 and 120. The coil 122 and the photovoltaic cell 124 can also be used for wireless communication with an external processor, for example, to update and / or extract information stored in the memory of one or both of the ASICs 118 and 130. The photovoltaic cell 170 can also be used to detect accommodation triggers, pupil diameter changes, and / or other physiological or environmental signs. In some embodiments, the coil 122 has about 15 turns disposed about a circumference of about 5.1 mm × 3.0 mm. Coil 122 and photovoltaic cell 124 are also in electrical communication with ASICs 118 and 130 via feedthrough 126.

  For example, even if a battery charger (not shown) in one of the ASICs 130 controls the recharging process described in International Patent Application No. US2011 / 040896 by Fehr et al., Which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Good. Similarly, a processor in one of the ASICs 130 receives a signal from the photovoltaic cell 170 that is representative of the pupil diameter described in International Patent Application No. US2011 / 040896 by Fehr et al., Which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. May be. The processor is also capable of the aperture defined by the electrically active cell 160 in response to a signal from the photovoltaic cell 170, eg, as described in US Pat. The diameter may be controlled.

  The manufacture of an electronics assembly such as that shown in FIG. 1 begins with the manufacture of a hermetically sealed feedthrough 126. The feedthrough 126 is drilled into the substrate, etched into the substrate, or sandblasted into the substrate. The substrate is then cut or diced into individual wafers, such as the first wafer 128 shown in FIG. Once a channel is created, a conductive material is deposited in the channel. According to one embodiment, the conductive material is deposited by galvanic growth or electrochemical deposition. The conductive material can be a biocompatible material such as gold. Alternatively, the conductive material can be a material such as a nickel alloy (eg, NiFe). The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) can be selected to be approximately equal to the CTE of the first wafer 128 (eg, within 10% thereof). If the conductive material 308 is not biocompatible, the inner surface of the channel can be coated or lined with a biocompatible material to provide an additional protective layer.

  For example, after the channel 306 is filled with conductive nickel, both ends can be coated or lined with biocompatible titanium, or gold, or a combination thereof. Once deposited, the conductive material forms a conductive path. The conductive path 310 seals the channel 306 and provides electrical communication from one side of the first wafer 222 to the other side of the first wafer 222. For example, feedthroughs 204 and 208 provide electrical communication from the battery anode 230 and cathode 232 to the ASIC 206 on the other side of the first wafer 228. According to one embodiment, electrical communication through the feedthroughs 204 and 208 between the battery 400 and the ASIC 206 can cause the conductive contacts, such as gold contacts, to be in electrical and physical contact with the battery contacts 408 and 406. And can be facilitated by placing it on the surface of the first wafer 228 in electrical contact with the feedthroughs 204 and 208. According to one embodiment, the conductive contacts can be exposed and flush with the surface of the first wafer 222. In a further embodiment, there is a unique conductive contact in physical contact with the cathode contact 406 and a unique conductive contact in physical contact with the anode contact 408.

  To design a fully functional, biocompatible, mechanically reliable implantable ophthalmic device 100 with a predictable lifetime, several factors need to be considered. In addition to providing a functional electrical connection through a feedthrough 126 between a power source such as a battery 120 and the ASIC 130, the implantable ophthalmic device 100 is also mechanically reliable for such an electrical connection for extended periods of time. Need to be guaranteed. In addition, the ophthalmic device 100 needs to provide electrical isolation between the electrical contact associated with the cathode of the battery 406 and the electrical contact associated with the anode of the battery 408. In addition, fluid can enter the cavity of the implantable ophthalmic device 100 that includes electrical components such as the battery 232 and the ASIC 206, and electroactive fluid such as liquid crystal material can leak into the eye or surrounding tissue. In order to prevent both entry and entry, the various component parts shown in FIG. 1 need to be joined together reliably and reliably.

  One exemplary solution to such design considerations is depicted in FIG. FIG. 5 depicts an outline and top view of one embodiment 500 that provides electrical connection and mechanical bonding between the battery, battery housing 412, and first wafer 406. The battery shown in FIG. 5 may include the characteristics of the battery shown in FIG. According to one embodiment, a cathode electrical contact 406 is provided in the central region of the battery, and a circular anode electrical contact region is represented in FIG. 4 by elements 404 and 408 around the cathode electrical contact. For example, in FIG. 3, the cathode electrical contact for a given battery may be centered around location 308 or 304, while the anode electrical contact for a given battery forms a circular area crossing location 302 or 306. Can do.

  Referring again to FIG. 5, the battery housing 512 forms a seal cavity for the battery with the first wafer 506. The cavity may include several methods including, but not limited to, melt bonding, pressure bonding, anodic bonding, conductive adhesive bonding, laser melting bonding, cold welding, ultrasonic welding, induction welding, or laser welding. They can be sealed and mechanically joined together by using alone or in combination. The method described above relates to cavities that hold electronic devices or provide electrical connections between various electronic components, and cavities that are hermetically sealed, hermetically sealed, or otherwise sealed to prevent fluids or other elements from entering or exiting. give.

According to one embodiment, an intermediate layer including sections 508 and 510 facilitates electrical connection between a battery in housing 512 and an electrical component such as an ASIC (not shown) below the surface of first wafer 406. obtain. According to one embodiment, the intermediate layer may also at least partially facilitate mechanical bonding between the housing 512 and the first wafer 506. The intermediate layer can be ceramic, such as Al ₂ O ₃ , peak, anodized titanium, glass-coated gold, non-conductive material, not limited to non-conductive adhesive, and gold, conductive adhesive, or other It can be made of a conductive material that is not limited to a metal alloy. According to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, five cavities 502 are aligned with the battery's electrical contacts, such as electrical contacts 514. As described above with respect to FIG. 4, the battery may include a central circular electrical contact 406 and a second annular electrical contact defined by elements 408 and 404. Thus, the cavity 502 can be aligned with these electrical contacts to facilitate electrical communication. Further, the cavity 502 facilitates electrical communication between the battery and an ASIC (not shown) under the first wafer 506 by filling the cavity with a conductive adhesive film. The conductive adhesive cavity also provides additional mechanical bonding to promote a sealed environment for electronic components such as the battery shown in FIG. In addition to the conductive adhesive, the intermediate layer also includes a gasket 504. The gasket 504 is cut to define the cavity 502. According to one embodiment, the gasket 504 is made of a ceramic material and defines a sealing cavity by a first wafer 506 around the battery.

  According to another embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, the intermediate layer shown in FIG. 5, including the conductive adhesive 502 and ceramic gasket 504 portions, further includes a hydrophobic barrier indicated by elements 606 and 612. Elements 606 and 612 are positioned between the central conductive adhesive segment of the intermediate layer that is electrically connected to the battery anode and the conductive adhesive segment that is electrically connected to the battery cathode. Hydrophobic barrier 606 prevents ion leakage between the anode and cathode portions to promote long battery life. According to one embodiment, the hydrophobic barrier 606 can be an etch ring filled with silicon oil, or can be realized through specific hydrophobic glass wafer and battery surface treatments.

According to the example 700 depicted in FIG. 7, the intermediate layer includes two segments of conductive adhesive 702 and two segments of glass formation or other isolated material 704. The glass formation or other isolated material may include a raised edge 708 that holds the battery housing 716 on the first wafer 706. The glass formation can be made by a glass growth process performed on the surface of the first wafer 706. According to one embodiment, the raised edge 708 is an isolated material other than glass formation. The isolated material may be coated by SiO ₂ coating. As in FIGS. 5 and 6, the conductive adhesive portion associated with the battery's electrical contacts, such as contacts 714, is the battery in the housing 716 and the ASIC (not shown) under the surface of the first wafer 706. Encourage electrical connection with electrical components such as

  According to the example 800 depicted in FIG. 8, the intermediate layer comprises three different types of materials. The first material includes two segments 804 of conductive adhesive associated with battery electrical contacts, such as contacts 820. These facilitate electrical connection between the battery in the housing 818 and electrical components such as an ASIC (not shown) below the surface of the first wafer 808. The two segments of conductive adhesive are also depicted as elements 816 and 812 in the side view shown in FIG. The intermediate layer also includes seal rings 802 and 814. These are used to provide mechanical support for electrical connection and to promote bonding or adhesion of the housing 818 and the surface of the first wafer 808. The third element of the intermediate layer is biocompatible adhesives 806 and 810. These are formed around the periphery of the battery housing 818 to form a seal cavity between the housing 818 and the first wafer 808. The biocompatible adhesive increases the mechanical connection strength between the housing 818 and the first wafer 808, and improves the sealing performance and electrical insulation of the cavity formed by the housing 818 and the first wafer 808. Can help.

  According to the example 900 depicted in FIG. 9, the intermediate layer includes segments of gold coatings 912 and 902. A segment of gold coating is associated with an electrical contact of the battery, such as contact 916, to provide electrical contact between the battery in housing 914 and an electrical component, such as an ASIC (not shown), below the surface of first wafer 906. Encourage connection. The intermediate layer also includes adhesive segments 904 and 910, such as biocompatible adhesives. The biocompatible adhesive increases the mechanical connection strength between the housing 914 and the first wafer 906, and improves the sealing performance and electrical insulation of the cavity formed by the housing 914 and the first wafer 906. Can help. In the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 9, battery contacts, such as cathode contact 916, are made from gold. Gold coating 902 can be joined to the anode and cathode gold battery contacts by compression bonding, anodic bonding, or a welding process such as cold welding, ultrasonic welding, induction welding, or laser welding. In addition, compression bonding can also include different types of compression bonding, such as hot-pressure bonding. In this case, compression occurs at a temperature exceeding room temperature, and strong bonding is promoted.

  According to one embodiment, compression bonding is used to bond the gold electrical contacts of the battery to the gold coating 902. Under compression bonding, the compression causes the gold coating 902 in the intermediate layer to soften and adhere to the battery anode and cathode gold contacts shown by elements 406 and 404 in FIG. In the use of a compression bonding process, the temperature can be maintained below 300 ° C. This is the critical temperature for a given component placed on or between wafers. Thus, according to some embodiments, compression bonding is an advantageous bonding method.

  According to example 1000 depicted in FIG. 10, the electrical contacts of batteries 1012, 1010, and 1008 can be joined by a laser weld joining process. Under this exemplary process, a metal coating deposited on the first wafer 1004, optionally on the first wafer 1004, together with the battery housing, using a laser beam focused to weld the electrical contacts. And a mechanical and electrical connection can be formed. Laser fusion bonding or laser welding is particularly attractive. These are because only the specific area of the wafer 1004 can be heated together with the battery or the battery housing. As a result, components attached to and / or disposed between the wafers are not heated during the melting process. In addition to the metal bonding described above with respect to FIG. 10, laser melt bonding can be used to bond one glass piece directly to another glass piece (ie, without a layer between the glass pieces). This eliminates additional materials and deposition steps. Therefore, in FIG. 10, if both the housing 1006 and the first wafer 904 are made of glass, a laser welding or joining process can be used.

  Specifically, in a laser melt bonding process, two similar elements, such as a glass housing 1006 and a glass wafer 1004, are held in contact with each other, and an ultrafast ultraviolet is present at or near the interface between the two similar elements. The beam from the laser is focused. The laser emits picosecond or femtosecond light pulses that heat the wafer. This causes the elements to melt or melt together. For example, scanning in a closed loop (or simply inside) along the edges of the housing 1006 and wafer 1004 with a pulsed laser beam creates a hermetic seal cavity for an electronic device such as a battery or ASIC. The pulsed laser beam can also scan multiple closed loops to create additional hermetically sealed areas within the periphery of the wafer. For example, the ASIC 118 can be sealed in the cavity. The cavity itself is sealed within the periphery of the device 100.

  According to another embodiment 1100 depicted in FIGS. 11A and 11B, a sealing cavity for a battery is achieved by etching a positioning groove 1102 on the first side of the first wafer. Subsequently, the battery housing can be placed in an appropriately sized positioning groove to form a seal cavity. In addition, biocompatible adhesives can be placed along the periphery of the housing and the wafer surface to provide firm mechanical bonding and sealant properties. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11B, the etching grooves 1106 can be arranged at various positions. Regarding the electrical connection between the battery and the ASIC under the first wafer, according to one embodiment, the connection can be formed by filling the feedthrough 126 with metal solder.

  According to another embodiment 1200 depicted in FIG. 12A, both the housing 1204 and the first wafer are made of glass. As a result, laser fusion bonding can be used to form a hermetic seal cavity for the battery. Alternatively, the housing 1206 can be made from materials other than glass, such as metal or ceramic. The material is coated with a glass coating thicker than 10 μm to use a laser melt bonding process. Regarding the electrical connection between the battery and the ASIC under the first wafer, according to one embodiment, the connection can be formed by filling the feedthrough 126 with metal solder.

  According to another embodiment 1300 depicted in FIG. 13, the electrical contact portion of the battery is directly connected to an electrical circuit located under the first wafer. In addition, a seal cavity can be formed between the housing and the first wafer by placing a battery lid in a gap 1304 machined or etched into the first wafer. The cavity can be further sealed by lining the housing periphery and the first wafer surface with a biocompatible adhesive 1302. FIGS. 14A and 14B depict additional embodiments for placing battery protrusions or battery lids in the recesses or cavities 1404, 1406 of the first wafer.

  With reference to FIG. 15, the electrical contact portion is electrically connected to the integrated circuit under the first wafer through conductive rivets 1502 and 1504. As a result, the rivet provides electrical connection and can be used to bond the battery to the first wafer surface. In addition, the cavity containing the battery can also be sealed by lining the housing periphery and the first wafer surface with a biocompatible adhesive 1506. Referring to FIG. 16, the electrical contact portion of the battery is connected to the integrated circuit through a coated wiring 1602 and the first wafer and housing are joined by bonding the peripheral edge of the housing and the first wafer surface with a biocompatible adhesive. Including doing.

  With respect to the system 1700 depicted in FIG. 17, the housing surrounding the battery is replaced by a first wafer 1702 that is machined on the second side to form a sealing surface around the battery. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, electrical contact portion 1708 is directly connected to electrical circuit 1706. Further, the electric circuit 1706 is accommodated in a cavity machined on the second wafer 1704. The first and second wafers can be formed using a laser melt bonding process to form a sealed cavity in which electronics are contained.

  With respect to the embodiment 1800 depicted in FIG. 18, a cavity 1808 for the induction coil 122 is also provided. Example 1800 includes a first wafer 1810 having a first cavity into which a battery is inserted, and a second wafer 1804 that is bonded to the first wafer 1810 using a laser melt bonding process. The first wafer and the second wafer form a hermetically sealed cavity around the battery. The example 1800 also includes an electronic circuit 1806 that is directly connected to an electrical contact portion of the battery, such as the cathode contact portion 1812. According to one embodiment, the integrated circuit is inserted into a gap in the second wafer 1804 and the induction coil 122 is inserted into the second cavity 1808 of the first wafer. The induction coil is disposed on the surface of the third wafer 1802.

  With respect to the example 1900 depicted in FIG. 19, a gap is machined into the first wafer 1904 and an integrated circuit 1912 is inserted into the gap. Further, the housing 1902 is preferably made of metal. As a result, bonding the peripheral edge of the housing 1902 and the surface of the first wafer 1904 prior to bonding the first wafer to the second wafer using a laser melting process can be one of an anodic bonding process and a high temperature bonding process. Can be done using.

  Under the anodic bonding process, one of the glass wafers to be bonded is coated with a thin layer of silicon, polysilicon, tantalum, titanium, aluminum, and / or SiNx to form a coated glass wafer. The coated wafer is then cleaned (eg, with isopropanol) and dried (eg, with nitrogen gas) and then aligned with the housing 1902 between the top tool connected to the voltage source and the chuck. By setting the voltage of the voltage source to several hundred volts, current flows from the chuck to the top tool through the coated glass wafer 1904 and the housing 1902. Current flow causes positive ions (eg, alkali ions) in the coated glass wafer 1904 to drift toward the top tool that acts as the cathode, and negative ions in the glass wafer drift toward the chuck that acts as the anode. To do. As a result, cations are depleted from that region of the housing 1902 and anions are depleted from the region of the coated glass wafer 1904 on the other side of the coating. This depletion increases the reactivity of the surface of the housing 1902 and coated glass wafer 1904 in contact with the coating, resulting in a formation of a strong chemical bond between the wafer 1904 and the housing 1902.

  In the embodiment 2000 depicted in FIG. 20, a portion of the housing 2004 is coated with a film of conductive material such as gold 2008, and the bonding between the first wafer and the housing is made of a conductive material such as gold according to one embodiment. It is formed by a cavity 2010 on the filled first wafer surface. According to one embodiment, the gold coated portion of the housing 2008 is adhered to the cavity 2010 using a cold welding process according to one embodiment. For various welding and bonding processes, the conductive material film 2008 and the conductive material filling gap 2010 need to be the same material for proper bonding. Once the wafer and battery housing are joined, a seal cavity is formed to form an assembly. The assembly can be encapsulated in a suitable material 136 such as acrylic.

  The subject matter described herein may illustrate various components that are encompassed by or connected to other different components. It should be understood that such a depicted architecture is merely exemplary, and in fact many other architectures that achieve the same functionality can be implemented. In a conceptual sense, any configuration of multiple components that achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” to achieve the desired function. Thus, any two components combined here to achieve a particular functionality can be considered to be “associated” with each other to achieve the desired functionality, regardless of the architecture or intermediary components. Similarly, any two components so associated may also be considered “operably connected” or “operably coupled” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Any two components so associated may also be considered “operably coupleable” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Examples of operably coupleable are physically mateable and / or physically interacting components and / or wirelessly interactable and / or wirelessly This includes, but is not limited to, a plurality of interacting components and / or a plurality of components that interact logically and / or can interact logically.

  With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, one of ordinary skill in the art can convert from plural to singular and / or singular to plural to suit the context and / or application. Here, various singular / plural permutations may be explicitly described for clarity. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that in general, the terms used herein and particularly in the appended claims (eg, the body of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms. Understand (eg “includes” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to” and “having” should be interpreted as “having at least”) , "Including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to"). It should be further understood by those skilled in the art that when a specific number in a claim is introduced, the intention is explicitly stated in the claim, and in the absence of the description, the intention is not exist. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may include usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations.

  However, the use of such a phrase means that the claim may include an introductory phrase “one or more” or “at least one” and an indefinite article such as “one” or “one” (eg, “one” and Claim that the indefinite article "one" or "one", even though "one" typically should be taken to mean "at least one" or "one or more") Should not be construed as limiting any particular claim, including any such claim claim, to an invention comprising only one such claim. The same applies to the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number in an introduced claim is explicitly stated, those skilled in the art should interpret that the description typically means at least the number in the description ( For example, the description “just two descriptions” typically means at least two descriptions or two or more descriptions unless there are other modifiers).

  The foregoing description of exemplary embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. This is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting with respect to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings, and may be obtained from practice of the disclosed embodiments. Can do. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

Claims (32)

A system for electrically and mechanically connecting components of an implantable ophthalmic device to provide a biocompatible seal to prevent fluid from entering and preventing battery fluid from exiting, comprising:
At least one battery having a surface including an electrical contact portion;
A housing for the at least one battery;
A first wafer bonded to the housing, wherein the housing and the first wafer form a sealing surface around the battery;
An electronic circuit electrically connected to an electrical contact portion of the battery. The electrical contact portion is electrically connected to the electronic circuit through a conductive adhesive;
The system of claim 1, wherein joining the first wafer and the housing includes adhering the battery and the housing to a surface of the first wafer with a gasket.   The method further comprises a hydrophobic barrier positioned between a conductive adhesive electrically connected to the battery anode and a conductive adhesive electrically connected to the battery cathode to prevent ion leakage. 2. The system according to 2.   The system of claim 3, wherein the hydrophobic barrier comprises silicone oil. The gasket portion is formed in concentric rings separated by the conductive adhesive;
The system of claim 2, wherein an outer ring gasket portion is formed around a periphery of the housing and an inner ring gasket portion is contained within the housing.   The system of claim 2, wherein the gasket is made of one of ceramic or glass.   The system of claim 2, wherein a sealing surface around the battery is hermetically sealed. The electrical contact portion is electrically connected to the electronic circuit through a conductive adhesive;
Joining the first wafer and the housing
A seal ring contained within the housing;
The system of claim 1, comprising gluing a peripheral edge of the housing and a surface of the first wafer with a biocompatible adhesive. The electrical contact portion is made of a conductive material;
An electrical contact portion of the conductive material is electrically connected to the electronic circuit through the conductive material;
Joining the first wafer and the housing
Bonding at least one of the housing and the battery to the surface of the first wafer with a biocompatible adhesive;
The system of claim 1, comprising bonding the conductive material coating to electrical contacts of the battery conductive material using a welding process. The electrical contact portion is electrically connected to the electronic circuit through solder;
Joining the first wafer and the housing
A groove in a surface of the first wafer, wherein at least one portion of the battery or housing is positioned in the etched groove;
The system of claim 1, comprising gluing a peripheral edge of the housing and a surface of the first wafer with a biocompatible adhesive. The housing is made of glass;
The electrical contact portion is electrically connected to the electronic circuit through solder;
The system of claim 1, wherein bonding the first wafer to the housing comprises bonding the glass housing to a surface of the first wafer using a laser melting process. The housing is coated with a wafer compatible glass coating;
The glass coating has a thickness greater than 10 micrometers;
The system of claim 1, wherein bonding the first wafer to the housing comprises bonding the glass coated housing to a surface of the first wafer using a laser melting process. The electrical contact portion is directly connected to the electronic circuit;
Joining the first wafer and the housing
A gap in the first wafer in which a peripheral edge of the housing is fitted into the gap;
The system of claim 1, comprising gluing a peripheral edge of the housing and a surface of the first wafer with a biocompatible adhesive. The electrical contact portion is directly connected to the electronic circuit;
Joining the first wafer and the housing
A gap in the first wafer, in which one peripheral edge of the battery lid and the protrusion of the battery is inserted into the gap;
The system of claim 1, comprising gluing a peripheral edge of the housing and a surface of the first wafer with a biocompatible adhesive. The electrical contact portion is electrically connected to the electronic circuit by providing an electrical connection through the first wafer;
Joining the first wafer and the housing
A cavity in the surface of the first wafer with a battery lid recessed in the cavity;
Bonding the periphery of the housing and the surface of the first wafer with a biocompatible adhesive;
The system of claim 1, comprising: bonding an electrical contact associated with the battery and an anode of the battery to the first wafer using a welding process. The electrical contact portion is electrically connected to the electronic circuit through a rivet;
Joining the first wafer and the housing
The rivet used as an electrical connection;
The system of claim 1, comprising gluing a peripheral edge of the housing and a surface of the first wafer with a biocompatible adhesive. The electrical contact portion is electrically connected to the electronic circuit through a coated wiring;
The system according to claim 1, wherein the joining of the first wafer and the housing includes bonding a peripheral edge of the housing and a surface of the first wafer with a biocompatible adhesive. The housing is made of metal;
The electrical contact portion is directly connected to the electronic circuit;
The integrated circuit is in electrical contact with the second wafer;
Joining the first wafer and the housing
A gap in the first wafer in which an electrical circuit is inserted into the gap;
Prior to bonding the first wafer to the second wafer using a laser melting process, the peripheral edge of the housing made of metal and the surface of the first wafer are used in one of an anodic bonding process and a high temperature bonding process. The system of claim 1, comprising: gluing together. A portion of the housing is coated with a gold film;
Joining the first wafer and the housing
A cavity in the surface of the first wafer containing gold, wherein a portion of the housing coated with gold is bonded to the cavity using a cold welding process;
The system of claim 1, comprising: bonding an electrical contact of the battery to the first wafer with an adhesive.   The system of claim 1, wherein the first wafer is glass.   The system of claim 9, wherein the conductive material is gold. The electrical contact portion is made of a conductive material;
An electrical contact portion of the conductive material is electrically connected to the electronic circuit through a conductive material coating;
Joining the first wafer and the housing
Bonding at least one of the housing and the battery to the surface of the first wafer with a biocompatible adhesive;
The system of claim 1, comprising bonding the conductive material coating to electrical contacts of the battery conductive material using hot-pressure bonding. The electrical contact portion is electrically connected to the electronic circuit through solder;
Joining the first wafer and the housing
A groove in a surface of the first wafer, wherein at least one portion of the battery or housing is positioned in the etched groove;
The system of claim 1, comprising: bonding a peripheral edge of the housing and a surface of the first wafer to a surface of the first wafer by welding.   The system of claim 11, wherein the laser melting process is enhanced by a light absorbing layer, such as chromium or titanium, deposited between the first wafer and the housing.   13. The system of claim 12, wherein the laser melting process is enhanced by a light absorbing layer, such as chromium or titanium, deposited between the first wafer and the housing. The electronic circuit is electrically connected to an electrical contact portion of the battery through at least one hourglass-shaped feedthrough channel formed in the first wafer;
The system of claim 1, wherein the hourglass-shaped feedthrough channel comprises a conductive material. A system for electrically and mechanically connecting components of an implantable ophthalmic device to provide a biocompatible seal to prevent fluid from entering and preventing battery fluid from exiting, comprising:
At least one battery having a surface including an electrical contact portion;
A first wafer having a first cavity into which the at least one battery is inserted;
A second wafer bonded to the first wafer using a laser melting process, the first wafer and the second wafer forming a sealing surface around the battery;
An electronic circuit connected directly to an electrical contact portion of the battery and inserted into a cavity of the second wafer. A system for electrically and mechanically connecting components of an implantable ophthalmic device to provide a biocompatible seal to prevent fluid from entering and preventing battery fluid from exiting, comprising:
At least one battery having a surface including an electrical contact portion;
A first wafer having a first cavity into which the at least one battery is inserted;
A second wafer bonded to the first wafer using a laser melting process, the first wafer and the second wafer forming a sealing surface around the battery;
An electronic circuit directly connected to an electrical contact portion of the battery, the electronic circuit being inserted into at least one of a gap in the third wafer and the second cavity;
An induction coil that is inserted into at least one of the second cavity of the first wafer and the cavity of the second wafer and is disposed on a surface of the third wafer. A method of manufacturing an implantable ophthalmic device to provide a biocompatible seal to prevent fluid entry and battery fluid exit.
Placing at least one battery in the housing having a surface including an electrical contact portion;
Bonding the housing to a first wafer, the housing and the first wafer forming a sealing surface around the battery;
Placing the first wafer in place, wherein an electronic circuit is electrically connected to an electrical contact portion of the battery.   30. The method of claim 29, wherein the sealing surface around the battery is a hermetic sealing surface. A method of manufacturing an implantable ophthalmic device to provide a biocompatible seal to prevent fluid entry and battery fluid exit.
Inserting a battery having a surface including an electrical contact portion into the first cavity of the first wafer;
Bonding a second wafer to the first wafer using a laser melt bonding process, wherein the first wafer and the second wafer form a sealing surface around the battery;
Directly connecting an electronic circuit to the electrical contact portion of the battery;
Inserting the electronic circuit into a cavity of the second wafer. A method of manufacturing an implantable ophthalmic device to provide a biocompatible seal to prevent fluid entry and battery fluid exit.
Inserting a battery having a surface including an electrical contact portion into the first cavity of the first wafer;
Bonding a second wafer to the first wafer using a laser melt bonding process, wherein the first wafer and the second wafer form a sealing surface around the battery;
Directly connecting an electronic circuit to the electrical contact portion of the battery;
Inserting the electronic circuit into a gap in a third wafer;
Inserting an induction coil into at least one of the second cavity of the first wafer and the cavity of the second wafer, the induction coil being disposed on a surface of the third wafer. .

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